


The Solution

by Humbleapplecrumble



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Get Together, Inspired by Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV), Peraltiago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-15 13:23:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16064036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Humbleapplecrumble/pseuds/Humbleapplecrumble
Summary: "Jake and Amy belly-laughed and held each other for support, but as they got their breath back they found themselves standing unusually close together. Locking eyes only closed their proximity even further. Neither was sure who instigated the next move, but before either could consider the implications of what they were doing, Jake's body was pressed against the front door as Amy juggled kissing him and trying to fit the key in the lock."Jake and Amy become partners-with-benefits to relieve stress, and it works a treat.NOT consistent with B99 timeline, just fluff.





	1. "Defence attorneys are monsters."

It all started when they lost a case. A big case; a case that had kept them working late, sneaking case files home and keeping them from sleeping soundly. Months of hard work, gathering evidence and knocking on endless doors for witnesses. That wasn't the worst part. The defence attorney? Sophia Perez, Jake's evil-ass ex-girlfriend. Jake stamped the day as the worst he's ever had and Amy agreed. It absolutely sucked.

The verdict had not been finalised, but it was strongly suggested that the NYPD were not winning this one. They had 24 hours to find further supporting evidence and they'd not found a thing. They were going down.

The Nine-Nine were sympathetic; they had all been there. It happened to the best of them. One hole in the evidence that marked it as circumstantial or a secret their witness hadn't told them was exposed and their case fell apart. The jury liked a solid, well-rounded case and they didn't seem to like cops very much, so unfortunately things went south more than they would have liked. Painfully, the hard work that had gone into this case along with the ‘Devil Monster’ (or whatever name Jake was calling her that week) being the one to finish the job hurt them both like hell. Sophia and Jake had a nasty breakup and hadn't spoken since - just pulled faces at each other in the courtroom.

The whole squad ended up in Shaw's bar, shots lined up along the table, courtesy of Rosa. Her advice for feeling better was the same for pulling yourself out of a slump or getting over an ex: "Fly to Motreal, hit a classy hotel bar, bone a stranger." Ok, so they weren't flying anywhere anytime soon, but they figured getting super drunk might do the trick.

One by one the intoxicated detectives called it a night. By 11pm, it was just Detectives Peralta and Santiago.

Jake twisted his wrist to look down at his watch. "Urgh. I don't wanna go to sleep. That means soon I'll have to get up and lose another case to that Swamp-Goblin. I'm not in the mood."  
Amy pulled a face in mutual fed-up-ness. "Me neither. I know we've joked around with the guys about it tonight, but I'm so mad. How are we going to be motivated for the next big case? All that hard work for nothing. She was a poor choice, Peralta, even for you."  
"Thanks for reminding me, Santiago!"  
Amy pushed the one remaining shot towards her friend and smirked in apology.  
He obliged and threw it back. "I guess we should go home. Wanna walk so I can avoid returning to work for a bit longer?"  
"Definitely."

The walk home was blurry and every now and then the detectives bumped one another in drunken clumsiness. They swapped insults about Sophia and laughed the whole way home, suddenly finding themselves outside of Amy's apartment. Jake had enjoyed seeing Amy's less grammatical, more sassy side. She used the word "butt" much more often.

"You're bad, Santiago! We should have more offensive conversations together."

Jake and Amy belly-laughed and held each other for support, but as they got their breath back they found themselves standing unusually close together. Locking eyes only closed their proximity even further. Neither was sure who instigated the next move, but before either could consider the implications of what they were doing, Jake's body was pressed against the front door as Amy juggled kissing him and trying to fit the key in the lock. The door gave way and the detectives almost fell through it, but Jake grabbed her with both hands and kept them stable, leaving Amy one arm free to slam the front door. 

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body so tightly towards him that her feet almost left the floor. They wrestled each other's coats until they were free and, in a very un-Santiago fashion, left them where they fell on the floor. Jake's hands found the hem of her shirt and slipped underneath to graze her bare skin while Amy's unbuckled his belt and pulled it free.

Between kissing her neck and shoulder, Jake attempted a responsible sentence. "Hey... are you... uh... sure about this?" He pulled away to remove the temptation, looking her in the eye as he caught his breath.  
"Second door on the right's my bedroom," she breathed before kissing him hard and dragging him in that direction. Jake followed orders, needing no further convincing, supporting her back to keep them upright while letting his tongue demand entry to her lips. After locating the door, he pulled her shirt over her head and the pair stumbled over the edge of Amy's bed. The detectives caressed and clawed each other’s bodies desperately, no longer colleagues but simply a way to make themselves forget about this disaster of a day. 

*  
Jake woke up and glanced at the clock. 2:37am. He might have forgotten he wasn't in his own room if it hadn’t been for the millions of sheets and pillows he wasn't used to. So comfortable. It was not to his liking.

As slowly and carefully as he could, he moved to look across to the other side of the bed. There slept Amy soundly, on her side, facing the other direction. Her breathing was quiet and her chest rose and fell gently. The blanket fell half way down her back and the fact that she still had no clothes on reminded him of the severity of what had happened between them the night before. He could here Gina’s voice in his head. Oh dang.

He didn't want to be a dick and ditch her, but given their working relationship he figured it was for the best. Amy was easily stressed out as it was, they didn't need an incredibly awkward morning of getting ready and an even more awkward shared journey to work. No, that wasn't happening.

He slipped out of the bed and rummaged around on the floor for his discarded clothing, finding occasional garments of Amy's along the way. He smiled at their messiness - he knew she would hate it sober, so he piled her clothes together and left them for her at the bottom of the bed. As he made to leave the house, he picked up her coat and hung it on the hook on the back of the door.

Still a little tipsy, Jake zipped his leather jacket as high as it would go, pushed his hands deep into his pockets and briskly walked the few blocks back to his apartment. Along the way he thought about the last few hours. He'd actually had actual sex with Amy Santiago. Oh, nards. 

As much as he made fun of her, Amy was pretty much his best friend. He'd never tell Charles that, but the truth was no matter what they were doing they had fun together. They worked exceedingly well together, complimenting each other's strengths, supporting each other's weaknesses. And although he made a lot of jokes about her sex life, he never predicted he'd ever become part of it.

Amy was beautiful - that much was obvious, yet he was pretty sure he'd never felt that way about her. Not romantical. But last night was fun - they'd laughed so much, and man, it was hot. He was confident that he did not regret what had happened between them, he just hoped she felt that way too. Then they could just carry on as awesome detectives and life would be great. He guessed he'd have to wait and see about that part.

As he neared his apartment, he thought about the day ahead. He let out a sigh - the case. He had until 12pm to locate some sort of immaculate evidence out of thin air that would win their case but it was not going to happen. He wiggled his fingers in his pockets and ran a thumb over the edge of his wallet. His wallet. Money, banks. Suddenly, he thought maybe the case wasn't quite over. Smiling at his own genius, he walked straight past his apartment and towards the 99th precinct. If his hunch paid off, Amy would be so happy when she came to work the next morning that their awkward encounter would be long forgotten.

*  
Amy's alarm felt loud and harsh, but as she usually did she sat up on the first ring. Almost forgetting the previous night, she glanced bravely at the other side of the bed, unsure of what she'd find. Surprisingly, Jake had already left. She had no idea when, but the bed was cold so it must have been a while ago. She smiled at the pile of her clothes left neatly on the edge of the bed; she knew they weren't left there by her. Jake could so often be an ass, but he knew her. When she thought about it, she was pretty sure he knew her more than most people did. They spent so much time together that it was inevitable. 

As she was in the shower Amy pondered what had happened. Had they made a huge mistake? They were great colleagues, she didn't want that to change. She enjoyed working with Jake; he drove her insane a lot of the time, but she actually quite liked it. Every day was different and they had completely different outlooks, which meant there weren't many cases they couldn't solve between the two of them.

Admittedly, she'd always known he was attractive. It wasn't a secret. But his mess and his tardiness were enough to build a barrier that would keep her feelings far away from ever considering going down that road. Well, until the night before, she guessed. But neither of them were acting on feelings - it was a solution to a problem. 

When she arrived at the precinct she was struck with surprise to find Jake at his desk before her. That almost shook her more than knowing she'd taken him home last night.  
"What are you doing here so early?"  
Jake was a mixture between deliriously exhausted and over-caffeinated and she was pretty sure she could see him shaking. "Amy! You're not gonna believe this. So I had an epiphany early this morning about our case and came straight here...” he paused and looked around before continuing in a slightly louder, staged voice, “you know, from my place, where I live and always sleep, obviously, to follow it through - I looked into our perp's backstory. Turns out he has a secret bank account in his sister’s name. We got the details and I've submitted it to the jury, they're reviewing it now! Can you believe it?"

She wasn't sure what she was expecting the morning after their booty-call, but it wasn't this. However, this great news was worth celebrating and she pushed her concerns to the back of her mind. 

"You're kidding! Did we defeat the Devil Monster?"  
Jake gave her his cheekiest grin, standing up to offer a high-five, and she took it gladly. "That’s right Santiago. We defeated the Devil Monster."

Although they weren't strangers, Rosa's get-well advice hadn't been far off. They definitely felt better now. Problem solved.


	2. “We call him The Vulture.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Jake swallowed hard. He knew what would make him feel better, but he didn't dare meet his partner's eye. Just because it happened once before when they were this drunk did not mean that this was a thing.”
> 
> Spoiler alert - it is a thing.

After their previous encounter, detectives Jake and Amy managed to pretty much keep their cool about what had happened. The fact they’d been drunk had definitely helped, and they silently agreed to leave it at that. 

...Until it happened again about a month later when The Vulture flapped his haggard wings and took their case right before an arrest.

Jake and Amy had been working on a money launderer for weeks. They finally got a hit when the perp used their cellphone and had everything in place to chase him down. Jake entered Holt's office to let them know they were about to gear up and arrest the guy.

"I'm afraid you're not, Detective Peralta. You're too late."  
"What do you mean?" Jake asked aggressively, before understanding what the Captain was telling him. "No, no, no way! You have got to be kidding, this guy is ours!"  
The volume of Jake's distress caused Amy to run into the Captain's doorway. She knew what this meant. "Captain, please, there must be something you can do. We are literally on our way right now!"  
"Please don't use 'literally' when you don't mean it, Detective Santiago. You are not on your way, you are in my office and you won't be going anywhere. Detective Penbroke has taken over the case. You were given a time and unfortunately it has expired."

Jake couldn't come up with anything else to say, so just span on his heel and returned to his desk to collect his things. Amy paused for a second, desperate to plead their case, but Holt raised his hand in protest before gesturing that she leave. It was over, they had lost.

Jake clumsily pulled his bag over his shoulder. "I'm so done with today. Bar?"  
Amy gave a sharp nod. "Bar."

The partners pulled up two bar stools and ordered whiskeys. The others of the Nine-Nine weren't able to come due to being on a refresher hostage-situation course, so it was just the two of them drowning their sorrows.

Jake grumbled. "I can't believe him. This isn't funny anymore, it's a waste of our time."  
"I know," Amy agreed. "It completely degrades us. Where's our job satisfaction?"  
"We do all the hard work and that jackass comes in and takes the best part," he complained before throwing back his whiskey and ordering two more. "Why doesn't Holt try to step in? It's infuriating."

The detectives complained, twisted and whined for two whole hours, not taking a great lot of notice of how much alcohol they were consuming. After a while, the complaints became insults, and then that became a competition between them of who could say the worst thing about The Vulture.

Jake let out a huge giggle at his own joke, followed by a slow exhale.  
Amy nudged him with her elbow. "You OK?"  
He met her eyes for a second and half-smiled before looking back down. "Yeah, I guess. It just sucks, doesn't it? I wish we could do something to feel better about this crapsack day," he said as he took another drink and Amy followed his lead.

Jake swallowed hard. He knew what would make him feel better, but he didn't dare meet his partner's eye. Just because it happened once before when they were this drunk did not mean that this was a thing. He risked a glance at Amy who he found to be biting her thumbnail. She too risked a look, glancing sideways slightly.

Yep, this was happening. "Shall we, uh-"  
"Let's go," Amy interrupted as she jumped from her stool and pulled her coat around her shoulders.

The pair hurried out of the bar and into a taxi, trying to stay quiet and avoid suspicion that they were on a drunken booty call, but every now and again one or both of them would let a chuckle escape. They arrived outside Jake's apartment and walked sensibly and calmly to his front door, but once the elevator doors closed Jake pressed Amy against the wall and kissed her deeply. Amy welcomed it, pulling him by his jacket as though she couldn't get close enough, aching for the pressure of his body against hers.

The elevator doors stopped suddenly before they’d reached his floor and Jake jumped off her, a second too late. The elderly lady waiting at the doors did not attempt to hide her disgust as she shuffled inside, making a point of standing at the opposite wall. The detectives stood side by side, Amy holding a hand over her lips and Jake looking at the ceiling, arms crossed, both desperately trying to stifle laughs. They only needed to go an extra two floors but they felt like fifteen. When they finally heard the sweet sound of the elevator ding indicating they had landed, they hurried out as quickly as they could and burst into fits of laughter the second the doors shut. 

Inside Jake’s room they continued to laugh and stumbled around, even more drunk now after the hit of fresh air. Amy finally interrupted Jake’s giggles by grabbing his hand and pulling him towards her, standing on her tiptoes to meet his lips. He quickly responded, things not being quite so funny anymore, unbuttoning her shirt and running his hands around her waist. Amy shrugged her shirt over her shoulders and proceeded to push off Jake’s jacket and pull his tshirt over his chest, him breaking the kiss for a second to pull it over his head. He steered her towards the bed, so much so that they fell backwards into it, although neither seemed to mind. Jake pushed himself against her, kissing her neck and her chest with an arm wrapped around the arch of her back. Her breathing became heavy; she clawed at his back with one hand and ran the other through his hair, savouring the weight of his body on hers. 

Vulture long forgotten, the detectives had once again solved their problem. 

Maybe this was a thing afterall.

*

This time it was Amy’s turn to sneak out in the middle of the night. She felt that one of the rules of making this work should be that they cannot wake up together; doing that last time meant they could go to work and carry on their lives as normal without acknowledging anything had happened, but if they woke up together that would definitely complicate matters. 

Before closing the door she risked a glance at Jake. He slept soundly on his back, the moonlight intruding through the gaps in the blinds and bouncing across his face and chest. He looked young and vulnerable this way, not like the cocky, confident rascal that she was used to. As she felt her smile emerge she sneaked out the door - any such thoughts were not prohibited with this arrangement. 

*

Amy was first at the precinct this time when Jake strolled through the gate. “Morning wonderful people!” He cheered as he threw his bag against his desk and meandered towards the kitchen. 

Rosa peeked from behind the fridge door. “‘Wonderful people?’ You’re in a good mood. Holt told us what happened, I thought you’d be bummed out.”

Jake’s eyes widened and Amy prayed no one else was sensing his hesitation. The most important rule was definitely that no one else, especially anyone from the Nine-Nine, could ever find out about this. 

Jake coolly pulled himself together. “Yeah, I was pretty mad about it, but this morning I don’t feel so angry, there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Might as well move on and solve our problems some other way. Right, Santiago?” He shot her a cheeky grin that made the back of her knees sweat. 

Amy was better than Jake at a lot of things but improvisation and keeping her cool were not on that list; he always won that battle. “Yes, definitely. Absolutely. Correct, affirmative.”

Rosa rolled her eyes. “You guys are weird.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, heart eyes for you all! More to come :)


	3. “Retire? We’re supposed to die on the force together.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A few minutes later, a familiar knock sounded at the door. Amy couldn’t help but grin as she took off her cleaning gloves and opened the door. There stood her partner, friend, booty call.”

The next time Jake and Amy found themselves in bed together was a short week later. They had indeed been cheered up after The Vulture incident, but this time nothing too traumatic occurred to push them into it. They just needed a nudge. 

Jake had spent a long day doting on Charles and his wedding plans, eating various foods that he’d like never to come into contact with again and pretending they were delicious. After persuading him to finally talk to Vivienne about moving to Canada, he’d fallen asleep in the car and Charles had greeted him in the early hours of the morning with yet more spicy alcohol. 

He started to walk home, leaving his car at Boyle’s due to the couple of drinks. He felt uneasy - he had a bad feeling about Charles and Vivienne. He didn’t want his friend to get hurt and he was sure that was the way this was heading. They weren’t going to see eye to eye on the Canada situation, Jake felt sure, but it seemed cruel to tell his friend that he believed that. 

Once they’d decided to call it a night, Charles couldn’t resist but put a message on the Nine-Nine text chain. 

Charles:   
Just so u guys know, Jakey P is the BEST groomsman ever!!!!

Amy was bumbling around her kitchen when her phone unexpectedly lit up with the text chain notification. She grabbed her phone, checking the time as she did so. 1:45am? Surely they hadn’t just finished their day of wedding planning. She put her thumbs into action and quickly sent Jake a message on their own private chat. 

Amy:  
Please tell me you’re not still planning with Charles?!

Jake responded immediately. 

Jake:  
Pretty much! What u doing up?

Amy:  
Cleaning the house, my dad sent me a message earlier saying he’d be dropping in this weekend. He’s kind of uptight so I wanted the house to be spotless. 

Jake:  
True Santiago stylez! I’m walking home, Boyle has fed me the most disgusting whiskey the planet has ever known

Amy pondered his text for a moment. That would mean he’d be walking past her apartment since Boyle’s was only a couple of blocks away. She could do with relieving some stress. 

After rewriting and deleting a few times, she sent it. 

Amy:  
You know you could stay here? It’s a lot closer than your apartment. 

No response. Amy felt stupid, she’d clearly misread their situation. He wasn’t into it. She de-stressed by scrubbing her kitchen counters. 

A few minutes later, a familiar knock sounded at the door. Amy couldn’t help but grin as she took off her cleaning gloves and opened the door. There stood her partner, friend, booty call. 

“Gloves? Were you thinking something kinky tonight, Santiago?” Jake grinned.   
“Shut up and just get in here,” Amy moaned, before pulling him inside by his coat and kissing him hard. 

He threw off his coat before they’d even shut the door and she pulled him towards the living room, setting him down on the couch and climbing on top of him. Their routine was becoming smoother, knowing where the buttons and buckles were, knowing what the other wanted, getting into a rhythm now. Amy pushed herself against Jake as he swiftly pulled down her pyjama shorts and grasped her thighs, each of them letting out satisfied breaths as they each got what they wanted. 

They didn’t make it past the couch. 

*

Around an hour later, Jake whispered gently, “Hey, Amy, I’m gonna head off.”  
Amy was on her way to sleep, but not quite. They were still sprawled messily over her couch underneath her woolly throw. She forced her eyes open and whispered back, “Yeah, okay.”  
Jake found his jeans and pulled them over this legs. “Think you’ll be able to sleep now?” He laughed under his breath.   
Amy grinned. “Yeah, I reckon so. This arrangement is highly efficient.”  
“Stop with the sweet talk, Santiago!” Jake chucked.  
Amy responded by hitting him with one of the couch pillows and laughed back at him. “Well, it’s true, isn’t it? It’s definitely appearing to solve our problems.”  
Jake pulled in his coat. “We’re geniuses. See you tomorrow?” He offered a high five as a goodbye.   
Amy returned it. “See you tomorrow.”

She pulled on an old tshirt and climbed into bed, tired but peaceful. This was a very un-Santiago way to go about things. She’d never had causal sex with anyone before, she had always been in an invested relationship. There was no denying that this scenario had huge benefits. 

She decided to list them in her head (making lists was her equivalent to counting sheep):

1: Jake was great, she knew him unbelievably well and they were genuine friends. He knew her well too, so there wasn’t a chance either of them would suddenly decide they didn’t like the other. There was minimal awkwardness and they always had fun together. 

2: Jake was very handsome. She had always thought so, but seeing him with no clothes on only hightened his attractiveness. That was a huge benefit. He was stronger than she’d previously known, too, and was quite capable of throwing her around. Hot. 

3: The sex wasn’t just good, it was great. It was the best she’d ever had, although she didn’t plan on telling him that - she’d never hear the last of it. And afterwards, they always felt better about whatever problem had gotten them down that day. She felt happier, less stressed, more at ease in her life. Whatever this was, it was working. 

4: They were both clearly on the same page. They got each other, they were enjoying what was happening and they were managing to keep their cool at work. As far as she knew, this was still a secret to anyone else. 

5: Because they were such great friends, they could keep their relationship that way. She was sure that neither would wind up having feelings for the other and make things weird. Well, she was 99% sure. Maybe 95%. That particular point maybe needed some extra thought. 

Five points were enough for Amy to drop to into a deep, uncomplicated sleep. 

Jake reached his apartment and flopped onto his bed, shrugging off his jeans lazily. He thought about what Amy had said - she was right, this whole thing did seem to be working without any consequences. 

He wondered about how Amy had first thought about all of this in her own head and laughed at the thought; she’d probably written a manual on how to be partners-with-benefits. Her crazy organisation was one of the things he loved most about her. Ahem, liked most about her. Liked. As a friend. Obviously. 

He rolled over, tiredness taking over. This was fine, everything was fine.


	4. “All these Die Hard references gave me the idea.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It was something he’d worried about throughout their hookups - Jake was a huggy sleeper.”

Amy stirred a little in her sleep and felt a weight that didn’t belong to her. When she forced an eye open, she saw an arm draped across her. She’d almost forgotten. Jake. 

This time, they’d ended up at Amy’s apartment after Jake lost his battle with Homeland Security. He’d come so close to defeating them all, only to be John McClane-ed by Agent Kendrick. It had literally been his worst nightmare. So, time to solve the problem with sex. It was now the most obvious and only solution the detectives had. 

Amy tilted her head a little to see he was breathing heavily, clearly fast asleep, and lay close to her. Not quite pressed against her, but his arm over her chest. 

At first Amy panicked - this was not fitting with the unwritten rules. But after a second she took the time to really feel his weight on her, and it was... nice. Each time they did this one or both of them was seeking comfort, and that’s exactly what she felt. Comfortable. Safe. Content. 

After a minute of conflicting thoughts, she decided to let Morning Amy worry about this. Right now she was exhausted and just wanted to enjoy this feeling. She carefully shuffled an inch backwards until she felt Jake’s chest against her bare back and shut her eyes once again, revelling in the warmth of his body. 

Jake opened his eyes when he felt movement in the bed. To his surprise, he felt his partner much closer than she’d been on any of the other nights. 

Damn, this was most definitely his fault. It was something he’d worried about throughout their hookups - Jake was a huggy sleeper. It was totally subconscious, he never really had anything to do with it, but he should have seen this coming. He felt Amy’s skin against his and tried to avoid thinking about how nice it felt. Her skin was so soft. 

He forced his tired brain to think seriously about this. The sensible thing to do was to get up and go now. Uncurl from his partner, go into the cold and make the long walk back home. 

He didn’t want to do that. He was happy here, happy and warm and relaxed. Was that a crime? If he was going to commit a crime, this one wouldn’t be so bad. He thought back to the last time they’d got together - no one had sneaked out then, they were both awake. They’d got through that fine, they could get through this. 

Argument with himself over, he closed his eyes and pulled her in tighter. He thought he might have heard a sigh come from Amy’s lips, but maybe he was hearing things he wanted to hear. 

Did he want her to enjoy this too?

He dismissed the thought and let his exhaustion take over. It’d be fine. Morning Jake would deal with this. 

* 

Amy’s alarm screeched into the silence and both Nine-Niners woke suddenly. She leant forward to knock it off, feeling the weight of Jake’s arm over her once again. She sat up on her elbows and looked his way as Jake pulled his arm from her, trying desperately to be cool about it. 

“Uh, morning?” Jake mumbled. Nighttime Jake was a jackass, he should have just left when he had the chance. As he cursed himself, he couldn’t help but notice how adorable Amy looked when she was half asleep. 

Amy pulled the blanket a little higher over her chest subconsciously. “Morning!” she said, a little chirpier than intended. She grabbed her glasses from the nightstand and pushed them over her nose. 

Jake’s mood instantly improved. “Oh my god, I totally forgot about your glasses!”   
Amy sighed and took her glasses back off. “Shut up, I only use them when I first get up. They’re practical!”  
Jake was in a fit of giggles. “No, I’m sorry. Please put them back on, you look so cute in them.”

Both detectives stopped at that. An awkward silence filled the room and they looked everywhere else but at each other. 

Jake broke the silence first. “Uh, anyway, I guess I’ll take off?” He felt much more self conscious in the morning light, it was much easier to feel at ease around each other in the middle of the night. He pulled his tshirt on as quickly as he could, pretending he hadn’t noticed the fact it was inside out. “See you at work!” he cheered over-enthusiastically.   
Amy tried to mirror his enthusiasm. “Yeah, buddy, see you there!”

*

The detectives sat opposite each other in the precinct, exchanging awkward smiles every now and again. They both considered what had changed - they’d been in a great routine by now, but the energy between them was very different today. 

Jake rubbed his temple, elbows against the desk. When they first started hooking up, he hadn’t focussed on how Amy looked or how it felt to be near her. They had fun and she was super hot, but he hadn’t let himself get emotional about it.

Unfortunately, he felt maybe there was no denying his feelings anymore. He knew how he felt, holding his partner early that morning. He loved their bare skin pressed together and adored the way she looked in those glasses. He felt an unfamiliar ache in his heart. What was going on?

Amy tapped at her keyboard furiously in an attempt to fill her head with paperwork and push out what she was feeling for Jake. She could never tell him that she actually revelled in the way he held her while they were sleeping, that she craved for more of it. Hell, she could barely admit it to herself.

The goosebumps over her skin when he called her ‘cute’ this morning were telling enough, she didn’t need to ponder that any further. But all of this cuteness, the cuddles, the laughs, they were not part of the plan. This was supposed to be a solution, not a problem. 

Although they didn’t know it, they both silently decided that maybe that was it for their... problem solving. Both felt that they were at fault for ruining it, that they’d let things get the better of them. It was good while it lasted, but Jake and Amy were work colleagues and most importantly great friends. It was too precious to waste. 

But boy, they both knew they were going to miss it.


	5. “I don't know what fathers and sons do but I'm gonna find out."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Regardless of what had happened between them before, he was her friend and she hated seeing him like this.”

A few weeks passed and Jake and Amy had managed to get by without finding each other in the middle of the night. Their working relationship had been a little strange, but they were getting by, on the mend. Another Friday night closed and Amy had gone home for a night of movies and pancakes by herself - her new de-stressing mechanism. 

Jake had been due to go out with his father for drinks that evening and Amy couldn’t help it, she felt worried for him. "Captain Peralta" as he liked to be called had let his son down before, and nobody but Jake expected this occasion to be any different. 

Around 10pm she gave in and sent him a text message.  
"Hope your night went OK."  
She made herself busy while she waited for a response. Her phone buzzed minutes after.  
"Yeah. Fine."  
No joke. No spelling errors or lack of punctuation. No emojis. Amy furrowed her eyebrows.  
"Are you sure?"

An eternity seemed to pass and no reply came. Coming to a sudden decision, she pulled on her coat and drove as quickly as the Brooklyn roads allowed her to Jake's building. She had an awful feeling that her friend needed someone.

As she walked up the stairwell, her phone finally buzzed. Jake.  
"Actually, no I don't think so"  
Amy felt relieved that she knew him so well. She found herself at his door and knocked lightly.

A minute passed before he opened the door; Jake was almost unrecognisable. He looked the same, wore the same clothes, but all of the wonderful things that made him who he was were missing. No smile, no cheery aura, no Peralta. His eyes were puffy and red and were coupled with dark circles underneath.

Neither detective spoke at first, instead they both wrapped their arms around each other tightly.   
"You knew," Jake breathed.  
Amy smiled in sympathy. "Of course I did," she said quietly as she released her grasp to step back and look at him again. "I'm sure you once said I was Detective Right-All-The-Time."  
At that, Jake half-smiled. "You’re remembering that wrong. And... Thanks." He pushed the door open a little wider to indicate she should come inside.

Amy sat on the couch, now comfortable in his apartment. He slumped down next to her after grabbing two beers from the fridge, handing her one in turn.

She didn't want to hurt him, but he had to talk about this.  
"What happened?"  
Jake stared forward, avoiding eye contact. "Nothing I shouldn't have seen coming. He didn’t show. Boyle was right, he's a bad dude." He picked at the label on his beer before setting it back down on the table. "Why was I so stupid?"  
Amy cocked her head to encourage him to look at her. "Jake! This is not you being stupid, you're not the one at fault for giving him another chance. He's your dad, it was the right thing to do. You always do the right thing in the end. Don't blame yourself for this, you deserve better."

Jake sat up a little, looking up at her sheepishly, playing with his wrists. "You really think so?"  
She rested her hand over his. "I know so. Please don't beat yourself up over this. and FYI, you're allowed to be upset about it."

He blinked and released two large teardrops that splashed against their hands. Amy shuffled towards him and wrapped her arms around him once again. He took her arms thankfully and rested his head against her shoulder, breathing heavily, holding back more tears. Amy rubbed her hand across his shoulders and after a minute or two she felt his body relax, and with it, he let himself be upset. Her t-shirt became damp from his tears and she felt her own watering - she had never seen Jake so vulnerable before and it made her heart ache. Regardless of what had happened between them before, he was her friend and she hated seeing him like this. Most of all, she hated his dad for putting him in this position.

Despite the circumstances, she was so glad to be close to him again. He had to know that. 

“I missed you.” she whispered.   
“I missed you too, Ames.”

A slight movement meant Jake realised what he'd done to his partner's shirt. He sat up promptly to look at her; he hated anyone seeing him like this l and he felt like a fool. He hadn't planned on having an emotional breakdown in front of her, but truthfully, he was just so glad she was there.  
"Shit, I'm so sorry," he mumbled as he sat up to look at her. "Ames, what's wrong?"  
Jake's sudden movement meant Amy hadn't had time to compose herself and wipe her own tears away. She quickly ran both hands under her eyes and smiled back at him, sniffing as she did so. "Yes, yes, I'm fine, sorry. I'm not trying to steal your thunder," she laughed. "I'm just, I guess, not used to seeing you like this. It sucks." she shrugged. 

He wasn't sure what made him do it. Maybe it was the comfort or the sympathy, or even the cute, red, puffy eyes, but he needed to be close to her because she was the only thing that kept his world real. Jake wrapped his arms around Amy's waist to pull her closer once again and kissed her gently, hoping she wouldn't mind the mess of tears and probably traces of snot on his face. Her body fit his perfectly, as he had remembered. It felt like an eternity since he held her last. 

Amy had longed to kiss him since he opened the door, but her priority was to be a good friend and comfort him in any way possible. Jake had helped her at the precinct time and time again - not necessarily in this weird "partners with benefits" kind of way, but by making her laugh or suggesting to look at things differently. Truthfully, Jake was one of the best things about working with the Nine-Nine. She thanked her lucky stars when she felt him pull her towards him.

Jake's lips were soft like they always were but she could feel the salt from his tears stinging her tongue. Tears were falling from her own eyes and her mascara marked both of their faces. The detectives kissed each other repeatedly, both craving physical contact from the other.

Tonight was different - this was not the hookup they were used to, and although they both knew it, neither cared. After pressing her against the couch and kissing her neck, shoulders and chest, Jake whisked her up and carried her, her legs wrapped around his waist, through to his bedroom. They held each other close and kissed each other like it would be the last time. The lights were already off, the only illumination coming from the streetlights cutting through the gaps in the blinds. 

They didn't need the light. Only each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all of you, you make my day!


	6. Because they were Jake and Amy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Jake looked down at her with his signature grin; one which she had become so fond of. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly. Long gone were the thoughtless, drunken incidents; she kissed him because he was Jake Peralta and no one else would do.”

The Captain's news had floored everyone. No one knew what to say or do, everyone felt unusually vulnerable and knew the foundation of their team spirit had been obliterated. They weren't sure they had each other to lean on anymore.

Jake was worried about Amy, he knew she would be hurting. After their last, whatever they were going to call it, "get together", he was worried he'd crossed a line, but she'd been there when he needed her and he loved her for that. As a friend, obviously. He wanted to do the same for her.

That night Amy had held him all night. He’d asked her to stay, but he was pretty sure she would have anyway. She’d even been the big spoon - it was no secret that he liked to be the little one. (Everyone did; people who said otherwise were liars, Jake was sure of that). After all that, Amy hadn’t even mentioned it to him or given him any hint that she pitied him. It had been kept completely between them, their little secret. They’d spent the week since then acting as if nothing had happened, just Jake and Amy; police colleagues. Still, he didn’t regret it, it just meant that she knew him better now. 

He paced around his apartment. Her phone rang out time and time again. He left a third message.  
"Ames, where are you? Please pick up. Just wanna know you're OK."

A few minutes passed, but still no response. He'd now had quite enough and decided he'd go on a manhunt. Womanhunt. He pulled on his leather jacket, grabbed his keys and started to run down the stairwell. 

Jake searched his brain for where he might find her and he knew immediately where he should start. A long time ago, Amy had told Jake a story about her first stakeout. Although she was advised against it by her then-Captain, she'd stayed alone on top of an apartment-building roof for hours in the snow following a hunch. It had paid off; a huge drug dealer was taken from the streets. It was so worth the flu-related consequences. Amy had described it as her motivation to be a Captain one day, the first big case she had cracked by herself. Subsequently, it was her favourite spot in the city.

Jake pulled up outside and climbed the rickety fire escape. Sure enough, Amy leaned against the wall on the opposite side, staring over the streets. She still wore her NYPD windbreaker which meant that she'd likely been here since they left the precinct. He thought she might be smoking, but her arms were folded. 

"Room for one more?"  
Amy turned, startled. "Jake?"  
Jake shrugged. "This is your favourite place in Brooklyn. I was worried about you." He took a spot next to her against the wall.  
At that, she scrunched her nose, her eyebrows creased together. "You know that?"  
"Yeah, because I'm an awesome partner." Jake smiled, feeling smug.  
Amy looked up, intently into his eyes. They glistened in the Brooklyn skyline.  
"Hmm. I don't think any of the others at the Nine-Nine know that about me."

Jake pondered that thought. She was right, they probably didn't.

But they were different. They were Jake and Amy. Weren't they?

Amy felt her stomach suddenly weigh heavy with guilt. "I'm sorry I disappeared, I didn't mean for you to worry. I didn't know how to take that in, back at the precinct. I'm not ready to work there without Holt."  
"I don't think any of us are. To be honest, I don't think he is either. But if anyone can do this, you can."  
She let out a small laugh. "Look at me! He hasn't even properly left yet and I ran away."  
"Hey," Jake turned towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders so she mirrored his stance. Amy was too good in every way possible to be left feeling this way, he wouldn't stand for it. He had no idea why she didn't have more self-confidence, but he'd try his best to help her through this. "Amy, you are the strongest person I know. Believe me, you can do this."

Amy let her face relax to look back at Jake. "You... think I'm strong?"

A small tear escaped her eye and slowly ran down her cheek. Jake caught it and wiped it away with his thumb before returning his hand to her shoulder.  
"You are strong, smart, brilliant and more responsible than all of us put together. And honestly? I know for a fact that one day you will be my Captain, and you'll be the best damn Captain there ever was." He paused and smiled, checking he was getting through to her. "Don't tell Holt I said that. Is he listening? Do you have a direct line to him?"

Amy's face burst into a grin and she threw herself around the detective stood in front of her. Jake knew her. He knew what she needed even when she didn't know herself. She wanted to tell him but didn't know how to even start, and right now she just needed him to hold her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and savoured the familiarity of the way his body felt against hers. He squeezed her tightly and kissed her hair, leaving his lips rested there for a moment or two.

After a minute, Amy leaned her head back. Jake looked down at her with his signature grin; one which she had become so fond of. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly. Long gone were the thoughtless, drunken incidents; she kissed him because he was Jake Peralta and no one else would do. 

Because they were Jake and Amy.

The last couple of months suddenly came together and everything made so much sense. "Jake, I... I don't know, it's just, I..."

Jake brought a hand up from her waist and cupped her face gently. He sometimes struggled to express his emotions, but this was definitely not one of those times. "I love you, Ames. Actually, I think I always did."  
Two big, fat tears ran down Amy's cheeks. It was everything she wanted to hear him say without actually knowing it until now. She beamed at him, "I love you too."

The detectives held each other for a while longer, neither knew exactly how long it was. When they started to feel the cold, Jake suggested they head back to his car. Things should have felt different, been weird, but they weren’t. This was the most relaxed they’d felt in a long time. 

The wandered along the sidewalk, fingers interlocked. Amy hit Jake softly with her other arm. “Oh, god. Please don’t tell me we have Sophia to thank for all this? Or The Vulture, ew, that’s even worse!”  
Jake gave an over exaggerated gasp. “Do you think we should send a thank you card with our beautiful faces on the front?” 

Detectives Jake and Amy headed back to his place and put on a movie they had no intention of watching. Their lips on each other were familiar yet different - this time, it wasn’t stress, anger or sadness that brought them together. Only adoration. 

Jake and Amy: work colleagues, best friends and most importantly partners - in every sense of the word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to anyone and everyone who has read this little story. You all truly make my day <3


End file.
